An automatic camera steering control for directing video conferences including a communicator with a microphone and a voice activated LED emitter. Cameras receive an LED signal transmitted by the LED emitter and focus on the speaker associated with the activated LED emitter. A controller automatically selects and inserts into the video stream the audio and video of the speaker.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of manipulating an image capturing device that captures images of a scene to be displayed, comprising: detecting a sensed condition; outputting at least one optical output signal by one or more devices of a plurality of devices, based on the sensed condition; receiving at least one optical output signal from at least one device of the plurality of devices with an image sensor of the image capturing device which captures the images of the scene to be displayed; receiving at least one optical output signal from at least one device of the plurality of devices with an omnidirectional sensing circuit, wherein the omnidirectional sensing circuit determines an angle of incidence of the at least one optical output signal received by the image sensor of the omnidirectional sensing circuit; comparing the at least one optical output signal received by the omnidirectional sensing circuit with the at least one optical output signal received by the image capturing device; and manipulating the image capturing device based on the compared optical output signals.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting includes detecting an audio signal.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one device comprises a microphone disposed proximate to a user and the detecting includes detecting an audio signal with the microphone.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outputting includes outputting one or more optical signals with light emitting diodes (LEDs).
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the outputting includes outputting optical signals with LEDs that are disposed proximate to a user.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the receiving at least one optical output signal from at least one device of the plurality of devices with the image capturing device includes receiving the output optical signals emitted by the LEDs and wherein the receiving at least one optical output signal from at least one device of the plurality of devices with the omnidirectional sensing circuit includes receiving the output optical signals emitted by the LEDs.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the manipulating includes manipulating the image capturing device based on the compared optical output signals, the at least one optical output signal received by the omnidirectional sensing circuit with the at least one optical output signal received by the image capturing device emitted by the LEDs.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the manipulating includes orienting the image capturing device so as to capture images of a user proximate to a microphone that has detected an audio signal.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the manipulating includes orienting the image capturing device so as to capture images of a user proximate to at least one LED that outputs an optical output signal.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the manipulating includes zooming and focusing the image capturing device so as to frame the image of one or more users proximate to the at least one outputting optical signals from at least one LED.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical signal is encoded with digital information.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outputting further comprises outputting one or more optical signals from an optical output device comprising a toggle feature that, when actuated, selects volume settings and also display settings for images captured by the image capturing device.
13. A method for automatically operating an image capturing apparatus that captures images of a scene to be displayed, comprising: transmitting at least one light signal to an image sensor of the image capturing apparatus that captures the images of the scene to be displayed and at least one light signal to an omnidirectional sensing circuit, wherein the omnidirectional sensing circuit determines an angle of incidence of the at least one light signal transmitted thereto, comparing the transmitted at least one light signal to the omnidirectional sensing circuit with the transmitted at least one light signal to the image sensor of the image capturing device; and controlling the image capturing apparatus based on the compared transmitted light signals.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the light signal in response to an audio signal.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting a light signal that is infrared.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one light signal is encoded with digital information.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the outputting further comprises outputting one or more optical signals from an optical output device comprising a toggle feature that, when actuated, selects volume settings and also display settings for images captured by the image capturing device.
18. An apparatus for manipulating an image capturing device that captures images of a scene to be displayed, comprising: a detector that detects a sensed condition; at least one optical output device that outputs an optical output signal based on the sensed condition; a receiving image sensor that captures the images of the scene to be displayed in the image capturing device and an omnidirectional sensing circuit that each receive the optical output signals, wherein the omnidirectional sensing circuit determines an angle of incidence of the at least one optical output signal received by the omnidirectional sensing circuit, a comparing device that compares the at least one optical output signal received by the omnidirectional sensing circuit with the at least one optical output signal received by the image sensor of the image capturing device; and a controller that manipulates the image capturing device based on the compared optical output signals.
19. An apparatus for manipulating an image capturing device according to claim 18 wherein the detector is an audio detector that detects an audio signal.
20. An apparatus for manipulating an image capturing device according to claim 18 wherein the detector is a microphone disposed proximate to a user.
21. An apparatus for manipulating an image capturing device according to claim 20 wherein the optical output device emits the optical output signal using a light emitting diode (LED).
22. An apparatus for manipulating an image capturing device according to claim 21 wherein the receiving device receives the optical output signal emitted by the LED.
23. An apparatus for manipulating an image capturing device according to claim 21 wherein the image capturing device is a video camera.
24. An apparatus for manipulating the image capturing device according to claim 22 wherein the controller manipulates the image capturing device based on the received optical signals emitted by the LED.
25. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one optical signal is encoded with digital information.
26. An automatic image capturing apparatus control system comprising: a communicator including a receiver and a transmitter; an image capturing apparatus that captures images of a scene to be displayed containing at least one of a receiver that receives signals emitted by the communicator and captures the displayed scene and a transmitter, the image capturing apparatus being controlled by signals emitted from the transmitter of the communicator; and an omnidirectional sensing circuit, the omnidirectional sensing circuit including a receiving means for receiving the signals emitted from the transmitter of the communicator, and optionally signals emitted from the transmitter of; the image capturing apparatus; wherein the omnidirectional sensing circuit determines an angle of incidence of the signals emitted by the transmitter of the communicator and received by the receiving means of the omnidirectional sensing circuit, a comparator that compares the signal received by the receiving means of the omnidirectional sensing circuit with the signal received by the receiver of the image capturing apparatus, wherein the image capturing apparatus is controlled based on the comparison.
27. An automatic image capturing control system according to claim 26 wherein the transmitter emits an optical signal in response to an audio signal received by the receiver of the communicator.
28. An automatic image capturing apparatus system according to claim 27 wherein the optical signal is an infrared signal.
29. The system of claim 26 , wherein the at least one signal is encoded with digital information.
30. An automatic image capturing control system according to claim 26 wherein the transmitter of the communicator emits a digitally modulated optical signal in response to both an audio signal received by the receiver of the communicator and a programmed input.
31. A method of manipulating an image capturing device that captures images of a scene to be displayed, comprising: detecting means to detect a sensed condition; outputting means to output at least one optical output signal based on the sensed condition; receiving means in an image capturing device and in an omnidirectional sensing circuit to receive the at least one optical output signal, wherein the omnidirectional sensing circuit determines an angle of incidence of the at least one optical output signal received by the omnidirectional sensing circuit and wherein the receiving means in the image capturing device also captures the images of the scene to be displayed, comparing means to compare the at least one optical output signal received by the omnidirectional sensing circuit with the at least one optical output signal received by the receiving means of the image capturing device; and manipulating means to manipulate the image capturing device based on the compared optical output signals.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the at least one optical signal is encoded with digital information.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the outputting further comprises outputting one or more optical signals from an optical output device comprising a toggle feature that, when actuated, selects volume settings and also display settings for images captured by the image capturing device.
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March 27, 2002
June 28, 2011
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